Swan Song || The Lost Boys - & The One Who Found Them...

Chapter VI ~ ᚲ ( Kenaz ) Revelations & Light

I dared not move an inch, let alone say a word, all too aware that no matter what kind of response I decided to give next would be used against me one way or another. Alan & Edgar were certainly out of the ordinary, kind of quirky even, but they were neither stupid nor easy to fool. A made up story wouldn't do the trick, so I hoped keeping silent would help me get them off my case eventually. But right now neither of them appeared willing to let things slide.

I had to come up with something to satisfy their curiosity & tame their distrust, & I had to do it quickly.

“ Boys... I know you two might find that difficult to believe, but neither am I hiding something, nor is there anything going on that might 'tickle' the vampire-hunter within you.
Yes, I do believe in vampires... but I've never seen nor met one & quite frankly, I don't think I ever will... Especially not in a city like Santa Carla. “

Silence engulfed the two, questioning looks were exchanged like so many times before, & I used that moment of silence to peer outside to catch of a glimpse of the current weather situation; it was still raining cats & dogs & the strong winds hadn't fully ceased, yet the worst was obviously over. The occasional thunder & lightning flashes weren't even half as intimidating anymore, much to my relief.
It was time for me to head home before mother nature could change her mind again.

“ Now if you excuse me...“, I gently pushed Alan's hand off my shoulder, grabbing my purse which I had deliberately left in the store earlier.
“ I have to go. It was nice meeting you.
Oh, & again – thank you for that comic book. “

I wouldn't get any responses until I was standing in front of the door, ready to take my leave when Edgar's voice rang out again.

              “ There is a number on the back of the comic book… Call that number if you should find yourself in trouble. “

“ We will keep an eye on you, lass.”
Alan added, his expression stern as I turned around & we locked eyes, the winds causing Edgar's bandana to flutter around his head once I opened the door.

“ Certainly... ”

With that as the only response I deemed fitting I headed outside, using my hand to shield my eyes from the rain. I noticed that the rain drops were small & soft again, almost feeling therapeutic on my face as I made my way down the empty streets of Santa Carla.
After merely ten steps I pulled my hoodie from my purse & slipped inside while continuing to walk, shivering when the wet fabric of my dress grazed the already cold surface of my skin with each step. Truth be told that hoodie didn't do much, but it was at least enough to protect my bare skin from the biting winds.

My steps were small but fast & I reached the main road after only a couple of minutes, giving my eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness since there wasn't even a single street lamp to light my way up the hill.
My stomach dropped once I saw the path I had only seen in broad daylight until now: it was awfully dark, no matter what direction, the gaping mouth of the night only appearing to widen the longer I stared at the hill to my feet.

I trembled, though this time it was not the wind's doing. It was the complete darkness in front of me that sent an intense chill down my spine, followed by the sight of a moon that slowly vanished behind a large cluster of clouds, robbing the trees as well as the hills of their shape. I remained in my spot for quite some time & pondered as my eyes continued to wander around, tempted to call a cab & spare myself this short but certainly unpleasant journey through the dark.

It was quite strange because even though it wasn't more than a five minute walk from here to my house, something inside of me seemed to be in revolt, refusing to let me step into the arms of night. Maybe it was the lack of light that brought me discomfort, or perhaps I was simply still shaken up from what had happened earlier; frankly it was difficult to tell right now. But what I could tell for certain was that I couldn't seem to find the courage to keep on walking, & the longer I waited & pondered, the harder I trembled.